Product Description

Enjoy Sharp, Crisp Video And Images With The High-resolution Sony Dvp-fx970 Portable Dvd Player. The Dvp-fx970 Features A Nine-inch (diag.) 180-degree Swivel, Flip Screen For Easy Viewing From Any Angle And A 6-hour Rechargeable Battery.1 With The Included Car Adaptor Your Dvd Player Is Always Ready To Go No Matter How Long The Trip. Dvpfx970 Is For Use And Warranteed So Only In The Us. It Will Not Work With Region 2 Material.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)

Amazon.com:
255 reviews

507 of 510 people found the following review helpful

Solid Portable DVD PlayerApril 24 2011

By
Sasquatch Boy
- Published on Amazon.com

When I bought this at Best Buy a couple of weeks ago, I thought I was buying the DVP-FX950, which had received pretty good reviews. I didn't realize at the time that I was actually buying the replacement for that model, the DPV-FX970, but I'm very happy that I did. There have been a couple of significant improvements to address the shortcomings of the previous model. This is the first portable DVD player I've owned, but I messed about with a few others in the store. Here are my thoughts.

I like the size and feel of DVD player itself. The swiveling hinge feels very sturdy and has a bit of a snap to it when it closes but there is no latch to keep it closed. The screen can be rotated 180 degrees and then laid flat if so desired. The case does not feel cheap to me. It has a nice texture to it which helps when it's being gripped. You will probably find, as I did, that the exterior holds fingerprints and smudge marks very well, but that's not a big problem.

Like the previous model, most of the controls go across the bottom of the screen. They are all touch controls with the sole exception being the 5-way rocker switch that you use to navigate and click on menu selections. The touch controls work very well, but they are at times a little too sensitive. When you go to rotate the screen, the natural place to grip it exactly where the Play or Option buttons are. I've inadvertently pressed them a few times. Also, the mechanical rocker switch is fairly sensitive and it can sometimes be difficult to get your thumb square in the center to select a menu option. I've found a number of times I've tried to select something but ended up clicking up or down instead. I also hit the option button occasionally when reaching for the rocker. All of these interface issues can be gotten around though, by moving a mechanical switch on the side of the player to the "Hold" position which locks out all other controls on the player. Then you can use the included IR remote to operate the player. The on-off switch is a mechanical switch on the side as well, so you're less likely to turn it on or off by accident.

The remote is a little larger than I expected for a portable unit. It's about the size you'd expect from a full size DVD player. If the remote were about half as thick and not rounded on the back it would be a little easier to manage on the go. Functionally, the remote works just fine.

DVD's snap onto the player spindle, which is a must for a portable DVD player. If the player is hanging vertically, you don't want the disc to fall out when you hit the eject button. The player motor noise was a concern with the previous model. I found that the motor can be fairly noisy when the player spins up or when you're navigating the menus, but as soon as it starts playing the movie or TV episode, the motor spins down to a lower speed and becomes MUCH quieter. While I haven't been trying, the player has not skipped on me while I was picking it up, setting it down, carrying it or turning it upside down. I have turned it sideways and watched a movie while laying on my side with no problem.

The first disc that I tried to play with this device was the "Lord of the Rings Extended Edition." I was immediately concerned that the player was unable to read the disc, because it kept spinning up and stopping and would take almost a minute for it to recognize the DVD. I eventually figured out that the disc I was using also had DVD-ROM content with a bunch of Windows exe and data files, and the player was looking at each file trying to figure out if it could play it or not. Other standard DVD's and CD's that I've put in have been recognized and play immediately. The disc player supports DVD, DVD+-R, CD, CD-R, and Video CD but not MP3 CD.

Image and audio quality are of course subjective. I'd have preferred that the video be a little sharper but it suits me fine. It automatically detects aspect ratio and displays accordingly. Audio can only be so good from a portable player, but I was pleasantly surprised. There are two stereo speakers below the row of controls below the video screen, so the speakers and screen are always pointing in the same direction. Please be aware that iPod earbuds are NOT compatible with the headphone jacks on this player. On stereo DVD's the music plays through, but the dialog is muffled almost impossible to hear. Using a different set of headphones solved the problem.

The player also does A/V in and out, but it only does composite video, not component or HDMI. I would have preferred that the player itself have RCA jacks for audio and video, but it uses a stereo mini-plug for left and right audio and a single mini-plug for composite video. Mini-plug to RCA cables are included with the device. There is a mechanical button on the side of the player lid to chose between DVD, Line-in, or USB (more on USB below).

Also included are a wall charger and a car charger. It takes about 6 hours to charge this device for about 6 hours of video playback. I haven't measured it exactly, but my impression is that I got about 6 hours on a change. The battery is not removable.

One major improvement over the previous model is that the USB port can now be used to play video instead of just photos and audio off of a USB flash drive. The following formats are supported: mp3, jpg, DCF, MPEG-4 (.mp4), and ISO 9660 Level 1. AAC (the iTunes default) is apparently NOT supported.

While I have mentioned a few things that I wish were different, none of them are deal breakers for me, and on the whole I am very happy with this player. I'm glad I bought it, and would definitely make the same decision again.

101 of 105 people found the following review helpful

The Best in it's ClassJune 24 2011

By
M. S. McGrew
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

NOTE: If you are only going to be play store bought DVDs then this player may not be for you and you can skip this review. The Sony DVP-FX950 is the same player without the ability to play MPEG4 files and it has no USB. The DVP-FX950 is also less expensive. If you have no desire to play video files then the Sony DVP-FX950 is for you.

The Sony DVP-FX970 is awesome at this price point. Having researched all other comparable players and personally tried out many; the Sony is better in every category except battery life in some cases (although 6 hours is still very solid). The screen picture quality is fantastic. It's not HD, but its close to the best you can get without bluray. It is the highest resolution you can get at this price. It's a clear, crisp and bright picture. The sound quality is great for a portable player. This player is as sold as any portable DVD player I have held. The Sony has a nice feel and design. The biggest reason I am writing a review is to clear up some things that were vague in other reviews but I feel are important to those who may be a little more tech savvy or even for those who may want to learn a few things.

Key points about video playback:* Along with the .mp4 files this player WILL PLAY .avi files that have been encoded with MPEG-4 simple/advanced simple formatting. I use AVS video converter 7 and select the default "to AVI" conversion settings.* Any .avi or .mp4 that is DivX formated will not be recognized. No DivX.* I highly suggest the .avi container over the .mp4 because in my experience with this player the .mp4 files will not resume to where the movie last stopped if you press play. A .avi file will resume to the last point you stopped the movie.* You DO NOT need a USB flash drive to play movie files. You can burn the video files right onto a DVD. I recommend using the program Imgburn to burn the files to DVD. It's free and it automatically burns the files in the proper directory format that the player reads to read the discs file directory.

Key points about USB:* This player WILL recognize most USB flash drives. I have a san disc cruiser micro and it plays video great. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY A SPECIAL SONY USB FLASH DRIVE.* My guess is that those who are having problems with their USB flash drives don't have the right file type on the drive or they are not selecting USB via the input button on the side of the player. It is possible they have a USB flash drive that just won't work, which I believe is the exception not the rule.

If you have any questions feel free to ask. I really like this player and I am happy with my purchase.

94 of 98 people found the following review helpful

It's perfect for meMay 2 2011

By
K. Allen
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

I have only had this for a few days so I cannot comment on logevity. Granted, I haven't had much time to experiment but so far I really like it. I do not think it is cheap looking or feeling, as another reviewer stated. I love the picture quality- it's very crisp and clear. The sound is everything I would expect and it's much better than an older portable DVD player I have. If I were to compare the two, there would be no fair comparison. This one is sooo much nicer! I love the 9 inch screen. The swivel may come in handy but I don't see it as a selling point for me. I have taken this unit outside to see how it plays in the sunshine which is not so good. I could watch it in a shaded area just fine but direct sunlight is too harsh. I have not tried fiddling with the controls to change the view settings though. There may be a way to do that. However, I don't see that I would need to be watching a DVD out in the sun. I don't notice much spinning noise as I have in other units. Sometimes they are so loud you have to blast the movie to hear over the spin. This one is very quiet. If I hold it on my lap I can feel the vibration of the spin though and that may bother some people. The DVD seems to be solidly in place and I defintely like that. I can move around and carry it from one place to another without the movie falling off track. The one thing I don't like is that you need the remote for some functions. The basic play, pause, volume and such are on the unit itself but if you want to make adjustments or toggle through a menu, you need the remote. Well, I think that is the case anyway. To fast forward, you need the remote. To skip by chapter, you can do it on the unit. It would be nice to have all funtions on the player itself. It's possible that I missed something in the directions about that but it's not obvious to me. All in all, I really like it and am very happy with my purchase.

99 of 106 people found the following review helpful

Excellent portable DVD PlayerMay 14 2011

By
D. Ward
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

So far the reviews are all over the place on this new portable DVD player from Sony. One reviewer states theirs broke after a year and a half but obviously it isn't this model that has only been out approx. one month. Others complain that it is cheap. Of course it feels cheap. It's plastic just like most every thing else we receive in the U.S. when it comes to electronics. There isn't much we can do about that and if some metal alloy was used the cost would be much higher so why complain about plastic? The unit works perfectly and the picture quality is quite nice for casual DVD viewing.We place this in the back seat wedged in a crevice under the lip of our baby's car seat during our frequent 10-12 hour trips. It keeps her content during the long travel. The remote works properly and I think this is a fine unit for the price being offered. There probably is little difference between the quality of this model compared to the previous generation. People act as if they have made some terrible mistake in purchasing this model because a few reviewers have had negative things to say about this player.Let's not over react and base our life's decisions over something fairly simple just because someone on Amazon didn't like it. It's a plastic DVD player made for DVD viewing. It's not a high tech device. It is what it is and when you read the overall reviews of most all portable DVD players the reviews always appear quite mixed. It isn't meant to provide a movie theater or home theater viewing experience. Let's just hope these units are reliable and we can get a year or two of reliable service from them.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful

Great portable DVD player!May 18 2011

By
Kate
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

Just got this DVD player from Amazon. Nice picture, great sound. This is a solid, well made, and sleek looking unit. Easy to use right out of the box. It has an easy to use function panel right under the screen. Just a light touch and you can change sound level, fast forward, etc. It also has a "sound" feature where you can change to various sound qualities such as "Dynamic sound," "Standard," "Dialog," etc. When you change sound quality, adjust the sound level and you'll be impressed. It sounds like you're in the theatre. Amazing for such a little machine. Highly recommend this.